The Pebble Blog : Tribes and Native firms that support Pebble process

The Pebble Blog

The gigantic Pebble copper and gold prospect in Southwest Alaska is one of the touchiest topics in Alaska today.

In this blog, I'll track news that is significant or interesting about the Pebble project. I'll also try to generate discussion and information sharing about some of the claims and counterclaims about the project, and mining in general.

Please keep your comments courteous and on topic. If you violate the ADN comment policy, your posts will be deleted.

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About Elizabeth Bluemink ebluemink@adn.com

I've been writing about mining in Alaska since 2004 and without a doubt, it is one of the most interesting topics that I cover at the Daily News. I've been a newspaper reporter for the past 10 years. In the Deep South, I specialized in reporting about environmental conflicts and pollution cleanups. For two years, I covered commercial fishing, mining and logging in Southeast Alaska. In my current job as a Daily News business reporter, I write about mining, tourism, Native corporations and other businesses.

Tribes and Native firms that support Pebble process

Posted by Elizabeth Bluemink

Posted: May 19, 2009 - 1:02 pm

Some weeks ago, a group of about 10 Bristol Bay Native residents, tribal officers and village Native executives spent some time with me to talk about issues around the Pebble project and the Pebble Blog.

They said they were concerned that people in the Bristol Bay who aren't opposed to the proposed mine at this time aren't getting as much attention and news coverage as Pebble's enemies.

To drive home that there are organizations in the region that remain unwilling to judge the Pebble project, they delivered to me petition sheets they had signed in April renewing their support for the state's permit process for the Pebble project. "We believe that the permitting agencies will not allow the permits unless PLP (the Pebble Partnership) can prove that it can develop the project safely," the petition reads.

Here are the organizations and Native-owned companies from the Bristol Bay region that signed the Pebble petition. If I'm leaving out any who signed the petition at a later date, let me know and I'll add to the list:

Paug-Vik Inc. (Naknek)
Ivanof Bay Tribe
Traditional Council of Togiak
Aleknagik Tribal Council
Twin Hills Native Corp.
Iliamna Development Corp.
Iliamna Natives Ltd.
King Salmon Tribe
Alaska Peninsula Corp. (west of Iliamna Lake)
South Naknek Village Council
Pedro Bay Corp.